Providing help and creating hope in Maine
Related Program: Refugee & Immigration Services
Refugee & Immigration Services (RIS)
80 Sherman Street
Portland, Maine 04101
Portland, Maine
Older refugees often have difficulty adjusting to life in the United States. Much of the problem is due to the language barrier and cultural differences. The volunteers who help the seniors at our Refugee & Immigration Services office, is part of the Services to Older Refugees Program (SOR) and matches culturally humble volunteer with refugees and granted asylees 60 years of age and older. We focus on the unique needs of older refugees whose age and health often significantly impact their ability to adjust to their new life in Maine.
The seniors - SOR Program for Older Refugees will work directly with refugees 60 years of age and older refuge with limited English proficiency. As a senior's companion, you will have the opportunity to tutor basic conversational English skills on a one-on-one basis. Your weekly visits will respectfully familiarize your older refugee with American cultural norms, help them safely explore their new community, and assist them to negotiate the various practical demands of daily life in an unfamiliar setting.
The SOR seniors Older Refugee program will help build the confidence of older refugees as adult learners, prevent social isolation and support community integration.
Key Responsibilities:
- Weekly visits (1-2 hours) to the home of an older refugee and/or community setting
- Learn what is important to your older refugee.
- Identify local resources and plan activities that support agreed upon goals.
- Create safe and respectful environment that promotes confidence and honors cultural traditions.
- Use a variety of instructional strategies to engage older refugees
- Tutor and practice conversational English with older refugees remotely on Zoom, WhatsApp, and or in the home of the older refugee.
- Collaborate with Services to Older Refugees Coordinator to assess needs of older refugee and monitor progress.
Impact of Opportunity
The SOR volunteer will improve the quality of life of older refugees by helping them make permanent connections to their new home. The SOR volunteer for Older Refugees will embody the CCM core value of "hospitality" by "welcoming the most vulnerable and in need to an environment of dignity, safety, warmth and a sense of being home." The efforts of the SOR volunteer will help older refugees build a safe life in Maine by preventing social isolation and improving language access.
Qualifications & Skills Required:
- Must be 21 years of age or older.
- Access to reliable vehicle and clean driving record.
- Ability to approach cultural & age differences humbly from a place of learning.
- Commitment to ongoing self-reflection to examine privilege and prejudices.
- Willingness to learn from older refugees and promote respect.
- Ability to build relationships and establish trust.
- Patience, flexibility, and dependability.
- Outgoing with excellent communications skills, Language skills helpful.
- Experience and/or strong interest in working with elders from difference cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to meet remotely, if necessary. Experience with Zoom and WhatsApp preferred.
- Ability to learn/teach how to access local resources.
- Creative problem solving.
Training Offered:
- Catholic Charities Maine Volunteer Orientation video series
- Ongoing RIS program/department orientation with various staff
- Monthly supervision with Services to Older Refugees Coordinator
- Webinars & courses from Cultural Orientation Resource Exchange, Switchboard, Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging and more.
Time Commitment/Schedule: 2 hours per week for minimum of 12 months.
Benefits:
- An increased appreciation for human rights.
- Deepening of your knowledge of immigration.
- A mutually beneficial cultural exchange.
- Learn how to use an interpreter effectively and practice language skills.
- Learn about the naturalization process and increased appreciation of US citizenship.
Program Contact: Linca Vanessa Iradukunda, Services to Older Refugees Manager-RIS Volunteer Coordinator, 207-653-2491
Updated July 2023
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